Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns both ejected following wild brawl
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has made a career out of provoking big men around the league, and this time Minnesota Timberwolves counterpart Karl-Anthony Towns was having none of it. The two All-Stars, both seven feet and 250 pounds, engaged in a brawl on Wednesday that left Embiid’s lip bloodied and earned both players an ejection.
Embiid trapped Towns in the corner on a double team, and after Sixers teammate Ben Simmons picked the Wolves star’s pocket, the two centers locked arms, shoved each other, and then all hell broke loose. Towns tackled Embiid in a full-on wrestling match before Minnesota’s Jeff Teague got in between them and Simmons pulled Towns from the pack.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) October 31, 2019
Coaches, players and security were all required to bring the brawl to an end.
After a lengthy review of the scrum, officials ejected both Embiid and Towns. Embiid left to a raucous applause and MVP chants from the Wells Fargo Center crowd, encouraging the ovation all the while. Two people who were not cheering as he entered the tunnel, per former Wolves center Cole Aldrich, were Towns’ parents in the Philly crowd.
Karl's parents reprimanding jojo as he exits the tunnel. #Tellemmama pic.twitter.com/x5VHcQyMRT
— Cole Aldrich (@colea45) October 31, 2019
After his team handed Minnesota a 117-95 loss, Embiid told reporters that the fight with Towns “came out of nowhere.” Of course, he had already conceded, “That’s what I’m good at. I like to get inside people’s minds,” according to The Athletic’s Derek Bodner.
There was also this, which will surely become a rallying cry for Philadelphia this season:
omg
JOEL EMBIID: "First of all, I ain't no bitch."
THAT'S A REAL POST GAME QUOTE.— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) October 31, 2019
And of course Embiid couldn’t resist a social media jab, this time inviting Towns’ old teammate and practice nemesis Jimmy Butler into the conversation.
Suspensions could be coming for both players.
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